DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2021.v09i06.025

Pages: 950-953

The objective of this study was to determine the epidemiological profile of preterm infants followed at the Kangaroo Unit. Patients and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in the Pediatrics Department of Sikasso hospital (Mali), a second-reference hospital from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019 on a comprehensive sample of all preterm infants followed at the unit during the study period. Results: We collected 94 files out of 194, a frequency of 48.4%. The average age of mothers was 28.5 years and 92, 5% were married, the out-of-school represented 51%. Housewives were the majority with 78.8% and living in urban communities in 70.2%. Primigest accounted for 37.2% of cases; 62.7% of women had completed at least four antenatal consultations. Malaria was found in 38.2% of pathologies during pregnancy. In 73.4% of the cases the newborns were born from a vaginal birth and 54.2% from birth in the born. The sex ratio is 1.5 and average gestational age is 31 SA. The average weight was 1325g. 40% of newborns were successfully followed up to 12 months of corrected age, sight loss was 21.2% and 40.4% were outstanding follow-up, we recorded 7 deaths or 7.4%. From 3 months to 12 months of corrected age all infants had an average weight located within WHO standard standards. Conclusion: The management of premature babies remains a major challenge for the pediatric services of our hospitals.